There are many opportunities for individuals and companies to support the mission of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:

TreeVitalize Plantings

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy works in partnership with Tree Pittsburgh, DCNR, The City or Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Parks, as well as local community groups to plant trees through TreeVitalize Pittsburgh.  Its goal is to plant 20,000 trees throughout the Pittsburgh region in order to improve our quality of life and the environment! Plantings take place in the spring and fall.  For more information, contact Teegan Boruch-McDonough at 412-586-2386 or by email at trees@paconserve.org.

Special Volunteer Opportunity

The Land Conservation and Stewardship staff is looking for volunteers to assist in a clerical project at the WPC office in Pittsburgh. The project involves working with the staff to migrate data into a new and exciting web-based project management system/database. This is a great opportunity to get an up-close look at how permanent land conservation takes place at WPC.

Contact:
Dawn Morrison
(412) 586-2338
dmorrison@paconserve.org

Community Garden Volunteers

Plant or Tend to a Garden

This is a great way to volunteer for a day with your family, friends or neighbors to plant a WPC community garden. Gardens are located throughout the region. 

There are opportunities to get your hands dirty beginning the first week of May and lasting throughout the summer.  In addition, each October WPC needs volunteers to help with putting the gardens to bed for the winter, in preparation for next year's planting.

WPC has nearly 140 garden projects for volunteers with different levels of skill, time commitments and responsibilities.  Please see the Community Greening Volunteer page to learn more, or contact:

Lynn McGuire-Olzak
Volunteer Coordinator
412-586-2324
gardens@paconserve.org.

Land Steward

In the warm months, typically May through October, WPC has frequent work projects occurring on WPC properties throughout western Pennsylvania, from Erie to Fayette. Typical projects include removing invasive plants, repairing a trail, marking a property boundary, or cleaning up an illegal dump. Volunteers are always welcome at these events, as many hands make for light work.

Although we call these events “work days,” they are informal and offer a chance to socialize with other conservation-minded people, as well as an opportunity to explore and learn about the ecology of the preserve where the work project is occurring. Applicants will be added to email and phone lists providing updates regarding the time and location of these events.

WPC occasionally has the opportunity to assign volunteers to steward a specific property, where they take on increased monitoring responsibilities. Volunteers need to commit to visiting a property a certain number of times per year, and must provide monitoring reports, maps, and pictures to document these visits. Openings for property-specific assignments are made only as available, and we cannot guarantee that all applicants will be assigned to a specific property. We typically tap volunteers who have shown a strong commitment to the program by volunteering at our work days, and look for good fits between a volunteer’s interests and skills and the needs of the properties.

For more information

Andrew Zadnik
Easement and Land Stewardship Coordinator
azadnik@paconserve.org
412-586-2318

Volunteer at Fallingwater

There are many volunteer opportunities at Fallingwater. For information, contact Jennifer Hiebert at 724-329-1441, ext. 1204 or email her at jhiebert@paconserve.org, or visit the FallingWater Volunteering Opportunities page.

Clerical/Office Work

This important volunteer is needed at both the WPC office in Pittsburgh and at Fallingwater. Work with our staff to learn about our membership and conservation efforts.

For more information

Contact (412) 288-2777

Photographers

Are you a shutterbug? You can use your hobby as a way to volunteer! Photographers are needed at outings, special events, and garden planting. All film and processing provided by WPC. Volunteers are asked to use their own camera equipment.

For more information

Contact Eric Sloss at 412-586-2358 or email info@paconserve.org.

 

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy considers applicants and volunteers without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, sexual preference, disability, marital status or veteran status.